Adjustable Offset Mount for Model Airplane Engine Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current engine mounting systems for model airplanes require tedious and time-consuming adjustments to achieve proper alignment, often involving complex calculations and repeated testing to compensate for offset angles, which can lead to instability and difficulty in swapping engines.
Innovation Solution
The Adjustable Offset Mount (AOM) allows for easy and quick adjustment of horizontal and vertical thrust angles through graduated components, eliminating the need for shimming and complex calculations by enabling direct alignment of the engine's centerline with the airplane's centerline, using a combination of vertical and horizontal angle adjustment components with precise markings for accurate positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional engine mounting systems are used, then the engine can be mounted to the firewall, but tedious and time-consuming adjustments are required to achieve proper alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The mount includes pre-configured adjustment mechanisms with multiple positioning holes and slots that allow the engine offset mount to be pre-adjusted to the correct orientation before engine installation. This preliminary adjustment capability eliminates the need for time-consuming post-installation alignment adjustments, directly resolving the contradiction between alignment precision and adjustment time
Solution Approach 2:
The mount provides dynamic adjustability through multiple positioning holes in the base component and corresponding slots in the offset component, allowing the orientation to be changed from fixed to adjustable. This enables quick repositioning without tedious adjustments, resolving the time-consuming alignment problem while maintaining precision
2Strength
If multiple screws are used to secure the mount, then the engine can be firmly attached, but repeated tightening and loosening of multiple screws is required for adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system is segmented into distinct functional zones: secure mounting holes for firm attachment and separate adjustment slots for orientation changes. This segmentation allows the mount to maintain strong attachment while enabling easy adjustment by working with individual components rather than multiple screws simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The offset component acts as an intermediary between the base mount and the engine, providing adjustment slots that allow orientation changes without requiring loosening of the primary mounting screws. This intermediary mechanism maintains mounting strength while greatly simplifying the adjustment operation
3Adaptability or versatility
If fixed offset mounts are used, then the structure is simple, but the position of the engine cannot be readily adjusted
Solution Approach 1:
The mount features asymmetric design with different patterns of positioning holes and slots on different components. The base component has positioning holes while the offset component has slots, creating a non-symmetric adjustment mechanism that provides versatility without requiring complex symmetric structures, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and structural complexity
4Measurement precision
If shimming is used to achieve offset angles, then calculations can be made, but the process is complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using permanent shims that require calculation and precise placement, the mount uses disposable-like adjustability through positioning holes and slots that can be easily reconfigured. This eliminates the need for complex shimming calculations and procedures, providing angle precision through simple mechanical positioning rather than computational methods
Data Source
AI summary
An Adjustable Offset Mount (AOM) device for engines of a model airplane which includes shim-less components with concave and convex components which are used to easily and accurately correct horizontal and vertical thrust angles.